2018 Beringer - Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain Steinhauer Ranch Vineyard (750ml)

Beringer is one of Napa Valley's oldest continuously operating wineries, founded in 1876 by brothers Jacob and Frederick Beringer. The Steinhauer Ranch bottling honors longtime Beringer viticulturist Bob "Taz" Steinhauer, for whom the vineyard, formerly known as Tre Colline, was renamed in 2003 in recognition of his decades of work across the estate's mountain sites.

Sitting at roughly 1,800 feet on Howell Mountain, the vineyard is planted primarily to Cabernet Sauvignon along with a small amount of Cabernet Franc, and the elevation gives the fruit the intensity and structure typical of mountain-grown Napa Cabernet. Individual blocks are farmed and vinified separately to preserve their distinct character, and the wine is aged for 20 months in custom-toasted French oak sourced from the Nevers forest, all of it new, which lends depth without overwhelming the fruit.

The wine shows a deep garnet color and offers plum, black currant, chocolate, and smoked herb aromatics, with iron, menthol, and licorice adding complexity on the palate. Medium to full-bodied, it carries ripe, well-integrated tannins and a gravelly, earth-driven minerality through a long finish. Pour it alongside dry-aged steak, venison, or a firm blue cheese.